nosewarmer poker

[Josh B.]

this is my 2nd pipe, a cherrywood poker. i dont have a lathe so i cut the tenon by file so im really worried how the stem/shank junction looks. let the criticism fly

[Josh B.]

more pics

[Lundell]

Uhm… I don’t know if I’m really the right one to post critique, considering I’ve only just completed my fifteenth pipe myself. Also, English is not my first language, so I might have a hard time making myself understood. But I’ll have a go, and I’m ready to stand corrected if anything I write is totally wrong.

First off, I think the walls of the bowl looks too thin, or the chamber too wide.
Also I think the airhole comes out a tad too high from the bottom of the chamber.
Furthermore I think the radius of the shank/bowl junction looks alright, but it seems to sink in to both chamber wall and shank, making the shank look like it’s bulging on the middle.
It also looks like the sides of the bowl are rounded towards the top and bottom, making the whole thing look like it’s bulging, and the side of the bowl over and under the shank doesn’t line up, making it look cone shaped from the side.
The bottom of the bowl doesn’t seem to be completely flat either.
But hey, it’s your second pipe, I think you should be proud! You’ve managed to make a sitter, not the easiest thing to do, and the thing you worried about, the shank/stem junction, looks as good as any of mine, so I’ll leave that for others to comment on.
I hope I’ve made some sense at least, and that some of it is of any worth. Otherwise, forget everything I’ve said and listen to the more experienced people here.

One thing I’m sure of though: Keep making pipes!

[E.L.Cooley]

For cutting your tenon by file your stem/shank junction looks pretty good. Are you using a drill press? If so you could probably easily use delrin for a tenon.
And then pretty much what lundell said. Except, if it were a poker I would expect it to be flat standing if it were a cherrywood I'd expect it to lean more with the top of the bowl being parallel with the bottom angle. Your drilling was real close if you had stopped you chamber a mm or two sooner you would have nailed it. Good job. Just approach it slower on the next go. Keep it up. Ps I've just finished my 3rd.


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[sandahlpipe]

Looks much better than my first several pipes.

I think what the others have said is right on.

Also, there is a slight gap between shank and stem. Use tools that are scary sharp and cut, not tear the briar and stem material.


It looks to me like you attempted a hand cut stem, and that's something I didn't try until I'd made about 20 pipes. Having said that, your stem could be thinner near the button, which should me much smaller.


This is a great starting point. I really hope you keep posting pictures of your progress.


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[Josh B.]

thanks guys these are all good places to work on with my next pipe. i do use a drill press but i dont have any delrin to work with but i should have some soon for my future pipes. i was really worried that the walls were a bit thin, they are a tad bit more than 1/4 inch thick i but next time ill leave a little more meat on the walls and pay more attention to making the bowl more cylindrical.

[E.L.Cooley]

Steve has delrin by the foot. It's inexpensive and I prefer it.


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[Josh B.]

i was quite inexperienced when i ordered my first set of supplies, i just got 5 blocks and five stems then went to work i didnt know about delrin until i had already finished my first five, but iv sold 3 of them and now have 20 blocks and enough vulcanite rod to make stems and im going to got some delrin before i start work on the next batch